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Senate GOP Doesn’t Plan Campaign Brochure Hearing

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Senate Majority Leader David Senjem says he probably will not hold a Rules and Administration Committee hearing about the GOP use of taxpayer money in creating what were perceived as campaign materials.

Senate Republican spokesman Steve Sviggum has taken responsibility for including a political fundraising link in brochures distributed at the Republican precinct caucuses. Senjem says the cost of printing the materials came to less than $50.

Senjem received a letter late Thursday from Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk urging a hearing to investigate the full costs of the incident. Senjem says he’s open to discussing the issue outside a hearing.

Bakk said Friday that he would also ask that any funds raised as a result of the link in the brochure be turned over to the state general fund.

Bakk’s demand is just plain stupid. So, since Mayor Rybak accepted funds improperly given to him during session mean that he should have to give back all funds that could be linked in any way shape or form to anything he did with funds from the accounts into which the funds were placed? I heard Rybak drove to one of Bakk’s fundraisers with gas purchased with the illegal funds. Bakk must return all the money he has ever raised before or after that fundraiser.